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ranging in value from $10 to $20. All books in the smaller libraries have been selected by the county superintendent.

     The record of each book loaned, its condition, etc., is kept in a book furnished by the county for the purpose. And a complete record of each book is sent to the county superintendent at the beginning of each school year. All except two of these libraries are the result of the new library law.

     The rural schools have been on a graded basis for a number of years. The Nebraska course of study for common schools is used In every school. Quarterly tests based on this course are sent out from the county office and the eighth grade takes the state examination at the close of the year. The eighth grade class of the county had its first promotion exercise at the county seat in 1903. The class numbered thirty. In 1909 the class numbered ninety-five. In 1910 there were forty-two of the eighth grade class who passed the county examination with the required average. At these promotion exercises an interesting program is furnished, consisting of an educational address, good music, furnished by the best talent of the county, and the county common school diploma is presented to the members of the class who are present.

     There were issued in 1909 forty-five free high school certificates to pupils who were entitled to them.

     During the past year there have been employed sixty-seven teachers. Of these, six are university graduates, ten are normal graduates and three have professional life certificates. Every teacher has had either practical experience in the school room or normal training.

     The Scotts Bluffs high school added normal training to its course in the fall of 1908. Out of a class of fourteen in the spring of 1909 six teachers were added to the Scotts Bluffs county teaching force. They were unusually successful teachers.

      The compulsory education law has been enforced in a number of instances, but the cases are rare. Thirteen districts have asked for state aid and receiving from $25 to $150 per year, has enabled them to have five months' school, where they would otherwise have been without enough school to pay to begin. These districts are in the homesteaded parts of the county. Where the land is deeded districts have from seven to nine months' school. School districts in the county are large. No consolidation has been effected yet. There are seven new buildings in the county which have built houses with the windows at the left and back. These buildings are in the state aid districts. They have not been able to get the heating and ventilating plants, but they are getting interested.

     The county is interested in domestic science and agricultural work, every school in the county taking an active interest. Rural schools are also taking an unusual interest in athletics, such as baseball, basketball, sprinting and jumping contests.

AGNES LACKEY,            
County Superintendent.     

     During the last ten years school work in Sheridan county has kept pace with the marked educational progress that has been made generally throughout the state. In spite of difficulties peculiar to this part of the state there has been a 'very decided advance within the past decade.

     There has been an increase in the number of school districts in the county. Thirty-one new districts were formed by my predecessor in the six years that he held office. Buildings and equipment have been provided to meet the need of the greater number of children requiring school facilities.

     The teachers are each year becoming better fitted for their work. There are now greater opportunities for professional preparation than there were a few years ago. The two junior normal schools in northwest Nebraska have been efficient agencies in raising the qualifications of the country teachers. Located in counties adjoining Sheridan they have furnished to many of the teachers the normal training which is indispensable to successful teaching.

     The state aid to weak districts has been a great help to the weak districts of this county. Last year about twenty districts availed themselves of the assistance offered by the state and were enabled to hold five months' of school. A greater number of districts will need the aid next year, because new districts have been formed in unorganized and recently settled parts of the county. The number of districts needing state aid will gradually diminish as more of the real property becomes subject to taxation. Until the valuation of districts is sufficient to enable them to rely upon their own resources state aid will be necessary to give school advantages to children needing them.

     The course of study is followed in all of the schools of the county as closely as conditions will permit. The adaptibility of the course permits its use to a very great extent in all the schools, whether the term be short or long. In both the village and rural schools it has been productive of excellent results.

     The reading circle work has been kept up by the teachers of the county in a satisfactory manner. The work has been done chiefly by note book and correspondence, because of the difficulty of getting the attendance of the county teachers at meetings at the season of the year when most of the schools are in session. The note books and reports have produced fairly satisfactory results.

     Special days are observed quite generally by the schools of the county.

     Special effort was made by my predecessor to arouse interest in the eighth grade examinations and graduations. In proportion to the school population there has been a large number of pupils present each year at the graduation exercises to receive their eighth grade diplomas. The eighth grade examinatloos and graduations have served to strengthen the work in the grades in all the schools of the county.

     The phases of the work on which I shall attempt to lay special stress are more careful grading and closer examinations for promotions in grades below the eighth grade,

C. P. KELLEY.               
County Superintendent.     

     Perhaps the best sign of educational progress and of public interest in the schools of Sioux county is the rapidity with which sod and log school houses are being replaced by frame and stone buildings. Up to within a few years ago frame buildings were in the minority, now a log school house is almost a curiosity. The large, straight backed, uncomfortable home-made seats also are being rapidly discarded and fine new seats put in their places.

     Free text books are furnished in all the schools and almost all have made a start at getting a school library, some schools being provided with oak book case and a hundred or more well selected library hooks. The library law has done wonders. School boards are becoming enthusiastic over school libraries and in many districts have encouraged their teachers in giving basket suppers and entertainments for the purpose of raising money with which to purchase more library books. Parents find as much enjoyment in reading the books as do the children and in this way a taste for good reading is being rapidly established.

     It may be interesting to know that the school census has doubled within the past four years, as has also the number of districts, caused by the large number of people who came in to homestead government land. Many of these newly formed districts are not yet self-supporting owing to the fact that the land is not yet deeded and hence non-assessable. State legislation, however, came to the rescue by furnishing state aid for these weak districts and even the poorest districts are thereby enabled to hold at least five months of school each year.

      One great hindrance to regular attendance and good school work is the large size of many of the districts, some of the children being located more than six miles from school. It is no uncommon thing for children to ride or drive four or five miles to and from school. One teacher made a record worth mentioning by riding six miles to her school each morning for six months without being absent or tardy a single time during the entire term. Of course it seems like a hardship for children and teachers to have to travel such long distances to school through all kinds of weather and it really is a hardship, especially for the little folks. The larger pupils seem to enjoy the rides and at some of the schools one will sometimes see a dozen saddle horses with reins down, grazing around the school house, and it is amusing to see the pupils headed for school in the morning, coming over the hillsides from all directions, three and four on a horse.

     Another great drawback to proper progress is the scarcity of qualified teachers in the county. Many districts have never had any

thing but a spring term because they were unable to get a teacher until teachers from other schools were at liberty to take a spring term. There is only one high school in the county, namely the Harrison high school, and while this school has done nobly in supplying teachers from year to year, yet it has not been at all able to supply the ever increasing demand. What is needed and needed right now, is normal training in the Harrison high school, and a state normal in Western Nebraska where teachers can go and prepare themselves for the work without having to go clear across the state to find a school where normal training is offered.

      One could hardly desire a more wholesome school spirit than exists in Sioux county, among teachers as well as among patrons and pupils. Parents show their appreciation of the schools by visiting them and rarely does it become necessary to apply the compulsory attendance law as all children who are within reach of school attend without legal persuasion. County institutes and county teachers' association meetings are attended by the teachers because they like to attend and not because they have to. The yearly association meetings of the N. W. T. A. are always will attended, too, considering the fact that some of the teachers are out so far from town that it is impossible for them to reach a railroad station, at such times.

     The excellent foundation laid by Ex-County Superintendent John Borky, in grading the rural schools and placing the course of study in all of them, has been built upon and perfected so that now pupils who finish the course, other things being equal, will have done the same amount of work as pupils in village and city schools. It has been the source of some satisfaction to learn that those of our pupils who took advantage of the free high school law have taken places in the front rank in the high school classes they have entered. This has had the effect of inspiring other pupils to complete the eighth grade and to enter high school. The spirit to excel is a strong incentive to efficient school work. Eighth grade graduation exercises are always held at the county seat and are attended by pupils and patrons from all parts of the county, some coming a distance of forty miles. The very best programs possible are planned for these occasions, including the best local music obtainable, and such orators as D. Webster Davis, Prof. Delzell and Hon. J. L. McBrien.

     County school exhibits are held yearly in connection with the county fair, where some fine school displays are to be seen. The fair association offers prizes for exhibits in sewing and handwork, baking, map drawing, penmanship, composition writing, free hand drawing, essays on agricultural subjects, dairying and stock raising, and prizes to teachers for collective exhibits. Pupils take great delight in preparing their displays and competition for prizes is always keen and spirited.

     Each year there are held county spelling contests for pupils and also for the teachers and the interest shown is amazing. The result

has been to develop some very efficient spellers throughout the county. Eighth grade pupils who have represented their district in a spelling contest have always made very high grades in county examination, while teachers who have prepared for and participated in the contests have invariably been able to raise their orthography grades on their certificate.

     On the whole the educational outlook is good. With the location of a state normal school in this part of Nebraska, better qualified teachers and more of them are in sight, and with liberal appropriations of state funds for the weak districts longer terms of school are in store for the boys and girls in the more sparsely settled districts.

A. F. BECKER,               
County Superintendent.     

     Our meetings have been held at points most suited to the convenience of the teachers. No permanent place of meeting has been established. In conjunction with other counties we have met at Norfolk in district meetings and special institutes. The attendance has been entirely optional with the teachers, but most of the meetings have been well attended, the teachers responding enthusiastically to the suggestions given, and usually a great interest is displayed in the subjects under discussion. We find that through these meetings our teachers become better acquainted with the individual and general work being done in the county, and with educational progress in general.

     Current events is receiving much attention, and one of our teachers--Miss Harriett Templin--had a daily paper sent in the name of the school. By this means much interest was aroused and it led to the reading of the home papers and a knowledge of and an interest in public affairs hitherto unknown.

     In accordance with the school library law most our districts have built up commendable libraries. The time worn but effective box-social has done more to establish school libraries than all else. The interest and untiring efforts of a great majority of our teachers along this line has produced some excellent results.

      Some of our most enthusiastic and best qualified teachers have been furnished from the normal training class in the Stanton high school.

     The graduates of the normal training class show a marked superiority as beginning teachers over the purely academically trained student.

     The observance of special days is urged as a means of awakening patriotism. Birthdays of Washington, Lincoln and the poets are observed with appropriate programs. Arbor day has been the means of beautifying many school grounds, awakening a love for nature and calling attention to the conservation of natural resources.

     An effort will be made to adopt a uniform list of text books for

use in the entire county. The grades in our graded schools and the rural schools are working together toward this end.

ARCHER L. BURNHAM,       
County Superintendent.     

     The school work of Thomas county must necessarily be different in several respects from the counties in the eastern part of the state. There they have numerous small districts, a large number of teachers and a county superintendent who gives his entire time to the work. Here we have nine large districts, requiring about sixteen teachers, and a county superintendent who works per diem, and who must, of necessity have some other occupation. In addition to this, the people and schools of this county are far apart, agricultural work is not very successful, and most of the schools are located on sandy soil with no chance of irrigation. For these reasons it is almost impossible, and the writer thinks unprofitable to spend much time in the industrial and agricultural work which is being carried on so successfully in the eastern part of the state. This is especially true because most of the pupils have only a few months in which to acquire the essentials, while the majority of the time is spent at home doing some kind of industrial work.

     For the past year our work has been directed along a different line, building up the essentials, and bringing the classes up to the prescribed course of study. At the beginning of the year many classes were quite badly out of line and we have spent considerable time in trying to correct these undesirable conditions. This feature will also be emphasized during the coming year. Besides I expect to lay special emphasis upon mental arithmetic and reading. Both of these have been slighted. The arithmetic because it has not been taught, and reading because the pupils have not been taught to read with proper expression. These are phases of work that are important and which need special stress placed upon them.

     Eighth grade examinations were held at the different school houses under the supervision of the teachers and the direction of the county superintendent. The grading was done by the superintendent or by a competent teacher appointed to assist in the work. Last May we had the first county graduating exercises held in the county. Not all were able to come, but every school of the county that had eighth grade pupils was represented. The program was composed of a play by the Thedford class, readings by those coming from district schools, and music that was furnished by the best talent to be had. It was a small beginning, but successful, and gave us encouragement to plan for something better next year.

     The grade of teachers employed In the county is, I believe, as good as the average In any other part of the state. Our rural schools will pay from $50 to $60 per month this coming year. These prices secure wide

awake teachers who are anxious to improve, This insures good professional interest. The teacher's reading circle has been well attended. Where they have been unable to attend the reading circle meetings they have written the required work. Last fall the majority of the teachers of the county attended the state association held at Lincoln. Those who did not go, with a single exception, were not excused by their board. Normal training in the high schools has not been an important factor in our teaching force since we have no high school of that kind in the County.

     School libraries are growing all over the county, but owing to the small schools and the financial conditions of the district most of the libraries are small. Nevertheless, with two exceptions where the districts are subject to state aid, they are adding a few new books to the library each year.

     Two districts drew state aid during the past year, one $75, the other $25. This placed the one in good shape and it will probably need no aid this coming year. The other will need help if it maintains five months of school. The state aid seems to be the solution for the weak districts. Yet the question remains, what would be the result if the districts were multiplied; if each large district now voting 25 mills were cut into four? This ought to be done in a great many cases. But if so, it would seem that the appropriations made for state aid would be far too small to be of much use. To me the question still remains: "What are we going to do with the large, weak districts?" For instance, where we have a few poor homesteaders with five or six children scattered over a district ten miles square. It is too far for small children to go, and it costs too much to give each family an individual teacher in all of these places. However, this is what is practically being done in a few instances. Districts of this kind is what makes compulsory education a dead letter in the majority of the cases. Where the school houses are accessible we have had no trouble.

      As regards the school officer's association and the boys' and girls clubs that we were asked to report on, we do not have them. In the first case, because school officers are too few and scattered, in the second case, for reasons given in the first part of this paper, and because pupils of that age quit school early in the spring and hardly see each other until fall.

     This, in brief, is the condition of school affairs as they exist in Thomas county. We realize that a good many features are below the standard; some can be improved, and this we are trying to do, while some of the conditions can not at the present time. However, the schools are growing, and this last year Thedford was able to boast of a good eleven grade high school,

T. E. SPENCER,             
County Superintendent.     

     The teachers are organized into an association known as the Thurston County Teachers' Association. The aim of this association is

to unify the educational work of the county and to further the knowledge of teachers along practical lines. The attendance is all that can be expected, taking all conditions into consideration. At all state and district associations Thurston county is fairly well represented. In addition to this the teachers are organized into a reading circle and all take an interest, much good being accomplished. At national gatherings Thurston county has never been represented. The past year libraries have been placed in almost every' school of the county, and financial conditions will now permit of adding to these lists each year. State aid to weak districts has done much good here. In the past two years more than $1,000 has been distributed through this source. If there was some way that outstanding indebtedness could be paid off Thurston county would be on a good financial basis as far as her educational institutions are concerned.

     Pender was last year designated as a normal training high school and of the five graduating three are teaching in the rural schools of the county.

     The teachers are well qualified for the work. The certificates being most evenly divided, between second grade, first grade and state certificates. The third grade teacher has almost become a thing of the past.

     No work has been done along industrial lines so far, although that phase of the work will come with the progressiveness found in the county. This year a corn contest will be held for the boys and girls of the county and we hope to make it a success to give us encouragement to branch out on other lines.

     The compulsory attendance law has not been used as it should be in the county, no one thinking it strong enough to stand a test.

     The school buildings of the county are on a par with other counties of the state. Those being built in the past few years and those building at present are made as nearly modern as the finances will permit.

     Thurston county being situated so that it takes in most of the Omaha and Winnebago reservations has not been built up for school purposes as the counties free from Indian lands. The districts have been badly organized, making the schools entirely too far apart, this being necessary in order to take in enough territory paying taxes to have funds enough to run the schools at least three months in the year. Now that more of this land has been placed on the tax lists and the land more thickly populated more schools are needed, but the above mentioned conditions make it almost impossible to organize new districts. A happy solution to the problem would be a reorganization of the entire county into districts so that the schools would be not over two miles apart. The towns of Pender, Walthill, Winnebago, Rosalie and Thurston are organized as high school districts under the state laws, and in compliance with the state course of study creditable work is being done in all places.

     My chief aim the coming year is to bring uniformity in the school work of the county, adhering to the state course of study for the rural school and to compel attendance in accordance with the compulsory attendance law. To weed out those teachers who are only teaching for the almighty dollar, and to fill their places with teachers whose work will live after them, and who will be a credit to the county, state and nation.

E. W. TARRANT,            
County Superintendent.     

     We have been trying to improve the standard of our county by more thorough work along all lines and by our excellent county associations where officers and teachers meet together, discussing plans for improvement and then by the earnestness of our teachers, working out those plans.

     Because of the better qualifications of our teachers--realizing the need of still greater improvement--the interest is growing towards attendance at the state and district associations. Twenty-one teachers represented Valley county at the last state association.

     The reading circle work has been kept up by the teachers in spite of difficulties. Only a small per cent are able to attend at the meeting centers, but the work has been kept up by means of note books.

     Most of the districts have complied willingly with the library law and are buying the books recommended by them. We feel that we have a very superior class of school officers as they are always on the lookout to make improvements in their districts.

     The normal training in our high schools is raising the standard of our teaching force, by giving us better prepared and more successful leaders..

      All our work is based on the course of study and we are insisting on constant use of it. The course of study for seventh and eighth grades has also been placed in the hands of the pupils with splendid success. All schools have been provided with daily programs.

     The work along industrial lines has been steadily growing. At our first contest held last November much interest and enthusiasm was displayed and it has not yet abated as our plans for the next meeting are being backed and pushed by our most influential citizens;

     The districts are waking up to the advantages of consolidation, but as yet none have tried the experiment. The interest displayed in this direction is actuated by the desire of the parent to keep the children at home during the high school course. The high school law has opened up avenues for education never dreamed of before and many pupils are availing themselves! of the opportunity.

     Five new school buildings are being erected in the county at the present time; a $20,000 building in the village of Arcadia and which is to be modern in every respect; four rural buildings, two of which are to be heated with the Waterbury system. During the past year a $40,000, building was erected in the Ord district.

     We are working along the lines of thoroughness and accuracy with noticeable results. Another phase of work that is requiring our special attention is the Boys' and Girls' Club. Much interest is given to this subject, not only by the children, but by the parents as well, who desire to avail themselves of every opportunity for the education of their children.

      Our county Is making rapid advancement, and we soon hope to have it ranked along with the foremost in the state.

EVA B. SHUMAN,          
County Superintendent.     

     In Washington county four associations are held yearly. The programs consist of live topics of interest to the teachers and touching some phase of the work. The teachers are interested and no difficulty has ever been had in getting teachers to attend, as the programs are such as to awaken their interest and make them feel that when they have been absent that they have lost an opportunity of broadening their mental horizon.

     This county has always been well represented in both state and national educational associations.

     The reading circle work is carried out as outlined by the state and with the aid of the outlines prepared has become a work of pleasure to our rural teachers. Every district in this county purchased the library hooks for the year 1909 and 1910. The libraries in many of the schools are very good and in many instances number over 100 volumes of good reading matter. No state aid is required in the county.

     The normal training work of the Blair high school has done much to assist the beginning teachers and I believe will prove of lasting good. The Nebraska course of study is in use in this county and a copy of this work is to be found in each school room. The course is being followed as closely as possible and is of great assistance in grading the schools. The teachers of the county are, in the main, a well qualified and interested lot of teachers.

     The eighth grade examination has been a special feature for some time in this county, the work being made as effective as could be done. For the past five years the examination has been given by the superintendent and the various principals of the county and the grading of the papers has been done by the superintendent, following out the plan of the state by having the papers numbered instead of the pupils name appearing on the paper. This plan has worked well and has had a tendency with the free high school tuition law to awaken a great interest in high school education for children of the rural schools. Very little trouble has been experienced in compulsory education. We have had an average of two cases a year where we have been forced to cause parents to pay fines for not complying with the law.

     The school buildings of this county are in good shape and some of the best rural buildings of the state are to be found here. District No.

 20 has a building which has caused much comment throughout the state for its arrangement and equipment. It is complete throughout with furnace and the arrangement for lighting, ventilating and heating are all on scientific principles.

     District No. 29 has just completed a building on the same plan except that as the first is a one-room building the one for No. 29 is a two-room building, the partition between the rooms being arranged so as to slide upwards and thus for evening entertainments the whole can be thrown into one room.

     The buildings in the towns are all modern in every way and rank well with any in the state.

     This county requires ninety-nine teachers to carry on the work.

     The salary of the rural teacher for last year was from $35 to $75 per month.

JOHN A. RHOADES,         
County Superintendent.     

     All teachers in Wayne county are members of the Wayne County Teachers' Association, of which Superintendent Kemp of Wayne is president. Three all-day meetings were held during the school year of 1909-10, at which the reading circle work was taken up--various teachers acting as leaders of the sessions. The average attendance of these meetings was seventy-five. About one-third of the teachers attended the Norfolk Association and Wayne county was well represented at the state meeting in November.

     In addition to making the reading circle work the basis of the county association programs, note books were submitted each month, covering the work in Salisbury's Theory of Teaching. Credit for reading circle work was allowed to seventy-two teachers.

      All districts but one complied with the library law and this district was refused the state apportionment. More than 75 per cent of the districts have good libraries which were secured mostly by the efforts of the teachers in giving socials and entertainments.

     The Nebraska course of study is followed, slight changes only being made as the local conditions warrant. The daily program is submitted to the superintendent within two weeks after school starts and must meet his approval. If it is unsatisfactory the teacher is helped to make a suitable program. The Illinois course was followed last year when our own was substituted.

     In November of last year a corn and domestic science contest was held, there being over 200 entries. This summer a boys' and girls' club was organized to do the work as outlined by the state department. Another contest will be, held this fall.

     There is one consolidated district In the county located at Sholes. The district comprises fifteen square miles and has a school census of 111, 108 having been enrolled during last year, with an average daily attendance of sixty-eight. There are three departments

in the school, Mr. Ben Robinson being the principal. A long barn is provided on the school ground and each family furnishes its own means of getting to school. To say the people of Sholes are well satisfied scarcely expresses their opinion of the present system.

     Out of the seventy applicants who tried the eighth grade examinations twenty-eight passed. Graduation exercises were held in June and all were present and received diplomas. In all there are thirty-six applicants for free high school tuition for next year.

     At present there are no entirely modern rural school houses in the county, but one is being built in District No. 62, which will be properly heated, ventilated and lighted. Perhaps a third of the schools have some system of heating and ventilating such as the Smith system. Almost all the schools are using sanitary drinking jars where there is no pump on the grounds. My predecessor was instrumental in having the water jars installed and most of the heating plants. Considerable work had been done in the rural school also along industrial and natural lines.

ELSIE LITTELL,             
County Superintendent.     

     Very little was done in the way of teachers' associations last year, but I expect to have the teachers organized into six or seven reading circles this year to meet for discussion of the reading circle work once a month, with probably two general meetings during the year, one in the north part of the county and one in the south part of the county.

     I expect to organize a school board meeting during institute this year. Nothing has been done in regard to this matter heretofore.

     Webster county was represented by sixteen teachers at the District Teachers' Association at Hastings last spring. Some seven or eight were in attendance at the state association, but none attended the national association.

     About fifty teachers did the reading circle work and wrote out the notes. But one meeting was held until February; after that meetings were held at Red Cloud, Guide Rock and Cowles, but all of the western and northern parts of the county had no meetings.

     Most schools of Webster county have libraries, many having bought the union library from some traveling agents. But some schools have very good libraries and have been well selected.

     The library law has not been enforced; the state apportionment for December, 1909, was granted without any effort to enforce the

law, so the June apportionment must needs be granted on the same basis; but December apportionment, 1910, will not be granted any district which does not comply with the law.

     In Webster county most of those teachers who have had normal training in the high school have made successful teachers.

     The use of the course of study is getting nicely started in this county, yet many teachers still need instruction along this line, which I hope they will ascertain at institute this year.

     The majority of teachers of Webster county are well qualified.

     Very little has been done along the line of industrial work. No boys' and girls' clubs have been organized.

     No districts have been consolidated for better school purposes; one district transports pupils to Guide Rock school.

     Forty-three students passed the eighth grade examination this year. Free high school attendance has been provided for 111 students.

     Many escaped the compulsory education law last year, as after the first of January it was too late for many to put in the full time. This will be begun this year at the close of September month of school.

     The school buildings of the town districts are modern and well equipped. We have several rural buildings which are modern and very well equipped.

     I hope to see that the compulsory education and library laws are enforced. Wish to do some work along the industrial line, and hope to organize boys' and girls' clubs.

MABEL DAY.               
County Superintendent,     

     Wheeler county being one of the younger counties in the state of Nebraska is of necessity somewhat more sparsely populated and schools are farther apart than in older counties. Teachers associations have therefore been greatly neglected owing to widely scattered school houses and the fact of teachers being far part and having to travel long distances to attend even local meetings. These conditions are, however, continually improving and a fairly strong association has been formed during the year. The association will take up work at the beginning of the school year in earnest.

      Districts have been slow to vote library funds for the purpose of providing libraries for the pupils, but many of them have raised money by means of box socials and put in a fine set of books, thus relieving the taxpayers, providing entertainment for the young peoples' winter evenings and obtaining a more costly library than the regular fund would have done.

     Wheeler is one of the Kinkaid counties and some of the lately formed districts have had but little taxable property from which to draw revenue, though settled by thrifty homesteaders, anxious for

school privileges. To these new districts the "State Aid Fund" has proved a veritable boon, making possible many a homey little school house and busy school otherwise impracticable.

     The Nebraska course of study is the standard of scholarship in our county. There are two well graded schools, one in Bartlett and one in Ericson, and a few rural schools that are in excellent order, but partly owing to the continual changing of teachers the grading of the rural districts is as yet not very satisfactory, especially in the lower grades. There is too much tendency to allow the pupils to follow specialties, whereas the object of the first eight grades should be to lay a broad and sure foundation upon which the pupil may later build his special life work in the higher grades and find it founded upon a rock. Every child needs a practical knowledge of the five essentials whether he plans to be a bricklayer or an orator. This defect shows plainly in the eighth grade examination. Many applicants get fine grades in some braches (sic) and scarcely passing in others. Still during the past two years Wheeler county has graduated thirty-four pupils from the eighth grade and of the many who have gone to some of the leading high schools and normals of this state and even of other states not one has been returned as unable to keep up with the regular work.

     School buildings are improving with the growth of the county. Reports give thirty-seven frame school houses, two cement buildings and one sod, having an average valuation of $277, and a corps of forty-one teachers. At least five new school houses will be erected during the coming year.

     Too much cannot be said in praise of the state normals in the work they are doing to increase the efficiency of the teaching force.

     The phases of work upon which we shall endeavor to lay special stress during the next two years are the complete grading of the rural schools, the development of English composition and mental arithmetic in all grades. and developing the art of reading to be really and truly "thought getting and thought giving." In these efforts we rely greatly upon the co-operation of an intelligent and conscientious corps of teachers.

EDITH BOWLER,               
Couty (sic) Superintendent.     

     Today (1910) we have 103 districts la good financial standing. The teachers are second to none in the state and the school boards consist of broadminded, liberal men, who endeavor to maintain the best schools possible.

     We have five regularly organized county associations, viz.: The York County Teachers' Association, which has been organized for years and meets three times each year. All of the successful teachers in the county attend these meetings. The York County School Board Association, which was organized in 1908, meets in September and

May. The Library Association, which meets once each year. The York County Boys' Agricultural Club, and York County Girls' Domestic Science Club. The last two have been organized two years and are doing excellent work.

     Our reading circle work is divided into ten local circles, the principals of the town schools acting as local managers. With a very few exceptions the teachers have all done the work and the reading circle has been a success and a benefit.

     Every school in the county has a library and since the new library law has taken effect there will be large additions this year, many districts setting aside the required amount for three years, the present libraries having been purchased with box supper money. All of the districts but two have either complied with the free library law or have expressed their willingness to do so when they secure time to get the signatures of the three members of the school board attached to the financial report.

     In the last three years there have been graduated from the York high school sixty-eight normal trained students. Many of these have taught and some strong teachers have developed from this number.

     President Schell of York College has built up the courses of the York college until it is now one of the strong colleges of Nebraska. Each year they are sending out strong teachers from the normal training department. In fact most of the county teachers have spent at least a summer term in the York college.

     Our teachers are more and more observing the special days. For two years past many of them have invited an old soldier living in the vicinity to talk to the pupils on a Friday afternoon nearest Decoration Day, and the schools have been benefited by this. Most teachers have Washington and Lincoln programs combined.

      The teachers are well qualified, progressive, enthusiastic, sympathetic and capable of doing excellent work.

     The compulsory attendance law has been a benefit to many pupils in the county.

     When Superintendent E. C. Bishop was county superintendent of York county he instituted a system by means of which pupils from the rural schools who passed the county eighth grade examinations were permitted to enter high school. We are still making special effort to induce the boys and girls to complete the eighth grade and each year large classes graduate. In 1908 there were 132. in 1909 156, in 1910 151. Under the free high school law a large per cent of these graduates apply for free high school tuition and go on to high school.

     In 1908 there was one new town school erected in Lushton. It is modern and nicely furnished. In District No. 70 this year a new modern school house was erected, heated by furnace. Only two Smith heaters have been installed in the county and these are in Thayer.

     We expect to have closed water tanks in every district in the county next year.

     In the fall of 1908 the county superintendent established a uniform system of grading country schools. Under this system the schools of York county are practically graded uniformly. It has been a delight to the teachers and they have been faithful in carrying out the plan. Now when the March moves take place the pupils who move from one district to another begin work in the new district where they left off in the old and since we have absolute uniformity of text books they lose nothing, for each fifth grade, etc., in the county is doing the same work. It is going to help a great deal in the completion of the eighth grade since the work is outlined for the eight years and the schools are doing the work as outlined. According to this outline each grade from the third is requested to study a special picture and poem each month. The county superintendent in order to simplify the work for the teachers, has compiled these poems and pictures in separate pamphlets for each grade. Each teacher will have a copy of each grade's work and it is hoped the pupils will also have copies of them, especially in the higher grades. The object of course is to teach the children to learn the value of pictures and to improve the study of reading and literature.

      Much stress was placed last year on mental arithmetic, diacritical markings, spelling, reading and writing.

     The York county institutes are of much benefit to teachers. The strongest instructors in the United States have been on the institute faculty at different times.

     A new feature was started this year in institute work. The first day of the institute a reading contest was announced. This was the plan. The titles of ten selections were placed upon the board on Monday, taken from the Searson and Martin reader, which the teachers were asked to read over carefully in preparation for the reading contest which would occur Thursday afternoon. On that day the entire institute was divided into ten groups, with a judge and referee for each group. The teachers contested for first place and a winner was chosen from each group. On Saturday morning the ten winners from the groups again contested, each reading a selection before the entire institute. Six competent persons acted as judges and Miss Phoebe Bryan, teacher in District No. 38 York county, won, receiving one of the "Searson and Martin" readers with the autograph of the authors and the county superintendent.

     This year we are extending the reading contest idea into the schools of the county. Each rural and village school is asked to have a district contest. The delegate from each school going to a township contest and delegates from the township going to the county contest which will be during the 1911 teachers' institute. The object is to improve the reading.

     The industrial work has developed along all lines. In 1908 there was held the first county corn contest. It consisted of all lines of industrial work, including the making of articles from corn products of

everything on the farm, in the home and school: One school entered complete farm improvements, consisting of house, barn, cribs, windmill, granaries and all kinds of live stock. The buildings were of good size, the house being 24x40 inches, with an "L" 20x30 inches, having porches, sidewalks, electric lights and entirely furnished with furniture made entirely by the pupils. Clarence Foster, a pupil of District No. 69, constructed the buildings and the pupils of the school and the teacher, Miss Dona Stoker, put on the grains of corn, as the entire number of buildings were covered with corn grains. Another school brought in a modern school building entirely furnished with furniture made by the chidren (sic). The results were marvelous. Children originated articles of the corn product never dreamed of before. The contest displayed wonderful tact and skill on the part of the teachers and pupils. It was planned for a day, but when it was found to be of so much value, at the request of the business men of York, it was held for a week, thousands of people inspecting the exhibits during that time. About $500 was awarded the pupils and schools in prizes as an incentive, but the practice and skill which was acquired in bringing about results can not be estimated. At the close of the week a part of the exhibit was taken to the "World's Exposition at Omaha," where it received the praise and admiration of people from all parts of the globe. First place was taken for rural and village schools, also first in manual training and county collective, about $700 in premiums was awarded the York county exhibit at the Worlds' Corn Exposition, being evidence of the quality of the work.

      In November, 1909, occurred the second annual contest, which was held for a week--Thanksgiving week. The exhibits were again very creditable to the county. The work of the girls was something unusual. The sewing was equal in many cases to that of skilled dressmakers and no more perfect fancy work could be done than a great deal that was on exhibit. During this week a short course was held for the girls in the sewing and domestic science room of the high school and in the court room for the boys. Miss Frances Hopkins and Mrs. Clara H. Wray of the York high school, having charge of the work of the girls and Mr. B. B. Williams of the state university having charge of the boys' work. The work of the boys was entirely along the line of agriculture and of the girls cooking and sewing. There were eighteen girls enrolled, being all that could be taken care of in the domestic science apartments and these were all from village or rural schools. Quite a number of boys were enrolled and did good work. The results of the short courses can never be estimated. At least fifty clubs of girls and boys were formed during the year 1909 and rapid progress was made. The girls delight in sewing and preparing palatable dishes for the table at home. Miss Louise Pickrel has won first on her corn bread for three years, receiving first at the world's exposition.

     During the 1910 institute an entirely new feature was presented, a short course in domestic science and manual training. Miss Ger-

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